Bakta Ramdasa - Dr. Dharmendra Prasad

Ramdasa is the famous name of Sri Kancherla Gopanna who was born in Nelakondapalli of Khammameth Taluq about 1630 AD. His father’s name was Linganna Manthri and his mother’s Kamamba. They were the descendants of Kancherla family who were Brahmins from Golconda. He is said to be the nephew of Sri Akkanna and Sri Madanna, the famous ministers of Abul Hasan-Tan-e-Shah, the last king of the Qutub Shahi dynasty of Golconda.

Sri Kancherla Gopanna was responsible for the construction of the compound walls and the main temple of Bhadrachallam. Every Telugu citizen knows fully about Goppanna and his contribution to the temple’s construction and his poetic excellence. Even from his childhood he was a devotee of Sri Rama and the Saint Kabir seems to have appeared before him and given him Rama Mantra. This anecdote in which Kabir is mentioned is popular but there are doubts about it. From that day he led a life of devotion, chanting Ramanama. In those days, there was famine prevailing. Out of compassion for the poor and the needy he gave away the whole of his property. After the death of his parents, having been deprived of his livelihood, he went to his uncles who were occupying important posts at Abul-Hasan-Tan-e-Shah’s court. Tan-e-Shah was very much pleased with this young brilliant man when he met him, as he was a great scholar not only of Sanskrit and Telugu but also of Persian and Urdu. He was immediately appointed by the king as Peshkar of Khammam. Later on he was appointed as ‘Pargana Adhikari’ of Hasanabad (Palvancha) to collect the arrears from the ryots. At that time Palvancha, Burgampad, and Bhadrachallam Taluqas were included in the Pargana of Hasanabad. That is why people think that he was the Tahsildar of Bhadrachallam and Palvancha Taluq.

Palvancha was the headquarters of that Pargana. He, therefore, stayed there and without harassing the people could collect all the arrears in a benevolent way. Even in that important official position he did not give up his daily Rama Bhajan and poor feeding. Gopanna, whose life was devoted to God and whose life was that of an ascetic and mystic was dearly loved and honored by the people. They were so much impressed by him that they joined him in his Rama Bhajan. Dammakka, an old lady living near by, who came from ‘Pokala’ family of ‘Sabara’ caste and who was an inhabitant of Bhadrireddipalem, a mile from the Pargana, one night dreamt that the idols of Sri Rama, his consort Sita and his brother Lakshamana, were lying at the Bhadragiri Hills and was ordered by the Lord to perform Archana to him. She immediately went to Gopanna and informed him about the idols and the temple. Gopanna went to Bhadrachallam along with her and saw the idols. His heart overflowed with the feelings of devotion and he immediately gave vent to them in a few beautiful stanzas on Rama. In these stanzas we find his mastery over the Telugu metres, his deep scholarship in Telugu and Sanskrit, his profound knowledge of the Puranas and the Vedas and clarity of expression. Even to this day these stanzas are collectively called: ‘Dasrathi Satakam’.

Source: "Saints of Telangana" by Dr. Dharmendra Prasad, published by Abul Kalam Azad Oriental Research Institute, Hyderabad. Reprinted with permission.

<< Back